The Blackford Bruins will take on the Liberty Christian Lions at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Blackford has now lost seven straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since the 7th.
Eastern Hancock hit Blackford with a four-run fourth inning on Saturday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Bruins took a 9-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Royals.
Meanwhile, Liberty Christian was not the first on the board last Monday, but they got there more often. Everything went their way against Providence Cristo Rey as they made off with a 15-5 victory. The Lions might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Riddick Allison made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over 4.2 innings pitched. Liberty Christian is 2-1 when Allison allows one or fewer hits, but 3-8 otherwise. Allison was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Judah Goodman was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. He has become a key player for Liberty Christian: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 3-8 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Zane Hoffman, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with five stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Liberty Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Liberty Christian's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-9. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.0 runs over those games. As for Blackford, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-17.
Everything went Blackford's way against Liberty Christian in their previous meeting back in May of 2016, as Blackford made off with a 14-4 win. Will the Bruins repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
